‘The Hangover’ Mistakes You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

Even seemingly polished comedies like ‘The Hangover’ have small continuity errors if you look closely. These aren’t about criticizing the humor—they’re the little mistakes made during filming, like props changing or locations not quite matching up, that most people don’t notice on a first viewing. If you enjoy spotting these kinds of details, this list points out exactly where to look. It’s a helpful guide to have when you watch the Wolfpack’s famous Vegas trip again.

The Mercedes’ front plate that comes and goes

The silver Mercedes used in the show has a noticeable continuity error with its front license plate. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not, particularly during scenes involving valet parking or driving on the street. Nevada usually requires vehicles to have both front and rear plates, and productions often add a front plate for better visibility. The plate seems to appear and disappear quickly between shots. Pay attention to the car when it’s near Caesars Palace – the close-up shots of the front grille don’t always match the wider street views. This is a common issue when different cars are used to play the same vehicle.

Sunglasses swap after the taser demo

I’ve been noticing something interesting about Phil’s sunglasses throughout that police station scene – the one with the school trip and taser. It’s subtle, but his aviators seem to change slightly. In close-ups, the shape and darkness of the lenses look a little different than when we see him further away in the hallways. It’s a common thing with movie costumes – they often have backups, and sometimes a stand-in will wear a different pair. If you really pay attention, you can see the shape of the bridge and how thick the arms of the glasses are change as the camera angle shifts.

Baby carrier continuity in the casino and lobby

Throughout the video of Baby Carlos at Caesars, the way the baby carrier is positioned and how the handle is held changes from shot to shot. The handle seems to lock and unlock on its own, and the blanket and straps appear to be rearranged between each take. This suggests the footage wasn’t filmed continuously, but rather in separate takes where the carrier was subtly adjusted each time.

Blackjack chips that magically re-stack

During the blackjack game, the chip stacks on the table appear to change size and color between rounds, even though we don’t see anyone placing bets at those moments. Notice how the stacks on Phil’s side of the table quickly grow taller during a line of dialogue. Alan’s chip pile does the same thing as the scene cuts between different shots. This kind of visual inconsistency often happens when close-up shots and footage of the actual game are edited together.

The trashed suite that resets between angles

As a real film buff, I always notice details, and this one is fascinating! In a recent film, I spotted something cool with the hotel room that gets wrecked. Depending on how they filmed it, the mess would actually change between shots. A lamp might be here in one take, then over there in the next. Even the broken glass wasn’t consistent – sometimes it was mostly by the sofa, other times near the bar. Apparently, they have to rebuild parts of the set between takes, so photos from the crew don’t always show exactly how everything was arranged before they reset it. It’s a small thing, but it really highlights the work that goes into making a movie look real.

Mattress on the statue—then not—then back again

The placement of a mattress found on a statue sometimes appears slightly different in wide shots compared to close-up reactions. This happens because the film combines footage shot on location with background city scenes, creating minor inconsistencies. Pay close attention when the camera switches between shots taken from ground level and those filmed from higher angles.

Police cruiser details that don’t stay consistent

The police cruiser featured in the movie has small inconsistencies – like scratches on the push bar, dents on the hood, and changes in the spotlight’s position – that appear between outdoor shots. The badge and unit numbers also aren’t always exactly the same in close-up shots versus wider views. This is common in filmmaking; productions often use several cars that look identical as primary and backup vehicles. You’ll notice these differences most clearly when viewing the car straight on compared to from an angle.

Timeline squeeze from roof sunrise to chapel stop

The movie makes the morning seem to happen much faster than it realistically would. While it appears quick on screen, the sequence – from the sunrise scene to the wedding chapel and back through Las Vegas traffic – would actually take considerably longer. The film jumps between locations without clearly showing the passage of time, and doesn’t accurately represent the distances or morning traffic in Vegas. Mapping the route reveals these inconsistencies.

Tiger scratches that heal between scenes

Following the tiger scene, the damage to the characters’ clothes doesn’t quite match up consistently. Tears and scuffs on sleeves change size and position as the group moves around. This is because the costume department creates several versions of each outfit with varying levels of wear and tear, and sometimes the different versions aren’t used in the correct order. If you look closely at a single sleeve during cuts and reverses in the dialogue, you can see these changes.

Roof access door position changes

The rooftop access door appears to move on its own in the footage. Sometimes it’s fully open, and in other shots it’s partially closed. Even the way the hinges look changes slightly between camera angles. This is common when filming over a long period, as things on set can be unintentionally adjusted between takes.

Share your favorite blink-and-you-miss-it flubs from ‘The Hangover’ in the comments!

2025-11-13 22:17